


Don't Think

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Age Difference, Awkward Conversations, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 16:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8021506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: “Have you been avoiding me, Poe?” Rey asked.“Dunno what you mean,” Poe said, though of course he did know because he definitely had been avoiding her. Maybe. Probably.





	Don't Think

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: 'I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified'

Poe sat with Rey on a ledge overlooking the tarmac, their legs dangling over the side. Rey was swinging hers, ankles crossed, but she looked more nervous than anything. 

“Have you been avoiding me, Poe?” she asked.

“Dunno what you mean,” Poe said, though of course he did know because he definitely had been avoiding her. Maybe. Probably.

“You do, though. You know exactly what I mean.”

“Do I?”

Rey knocked into him with her shoulder, jostling him. “Stop being an ass.”

“I’m not, I’m--” Poe sighed. “Okay, I’m being an ass and also I’ve been avoiding you.”

“Why?”

“To which?’

Rey scowled. “Poe Dameron.”

“Right, that was being an ass again.” Poe raked his fingers through his hair. “Just, uh… Just needed some time to think.”

“You can’t think when you’re around me?”

Poe gaped at her with horror building in his chest but she was gazing at him with complete innocence and guilelessness, absolutely no idea what she had just said. Because no, damn it, he couldn’t fucking think around her and that was the entire problem.

Somehow Rey’s big eyes and sunny smile and her charming ability to kick his ass in thirty seconds flat had made Poe feel like he was himself as a teenager again, awkward and nervous and desperate for approval, for attention, if only she would _smile_ at him, damn it. It was sad. He was too old for this, and definitely too old for her.

But she did smile at him, and she sat with him in the hangar bay and talked about ships, got herself dirty and covered in grease while she made modifications Poe had never even thought to make, flew circles around half his squad and then came down laughing.

She was _brilliant._

She was also still looking at him and Poe realized that they had been having a conversation that he had completely zoned out of. 

“Um. What was I saying?”

Rey laughed. “You didn’t seem to be having any trouble thinking just then. Problem solved?”

No, problem certainly not solved. Problem worse because Rey’s body was turned towards his, her expression open and amused, the wind blowing through the loose strands of her brown hair, escaped from her buns. 

He was so _fucked._

“I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified.”

What? Had he said that out loud?

Rey was staring at him. “You’re _what_?”

He’d said that out loud.

_Shit._

Poe forced a laugh and it sounded horrible and fake even to himself. “Yeah, never mind, uh, bad joke? Because…” Kriffing hell, Poe could talk himself out of anything, why was his mouth failing him at this of all moments? He rose hurriedly to his feet. “You know, I forgot, I’m supposed to see the general, she’s got, uh, stuff for me, I’ll see you later.”

But before he could leave ( _run away, admit it, Dameron, you’re trying to run away_ ) Rey was pulling at his elbow, gripping it with her small hand, hanging onto him with all her deceptive strength.

“That was true,” she said, looking into his eyes. “What you said. That was true. You aren’t a very good liar, Poe. You meant that.”

“Bad joke,” he tried again, weakly. “Not a good liar but great at terrible jokes.” Everyone said so.

“Great at deflecting, too.” Rey’s grip tightened. “Do you love me, Poe?’

Poe felt like all his synapses were cutting off, like his brain was just giving up. How had he gotten here?

“Tell me the truth, Poe.” Rey’s eyes were boring into his and he couldn’t look away, no matter how much he wanted to.

“Yes,” he said, barely a whisper. 

Then Rey’s smile came back as if that was the best thing she had ever heard. “Really? You do?”

“Is this a trick question?”

Rey laughed again, so light and cheerful. She loosened her grip and slid her hand down until she was loosely holding Poe’s hand. “No, it just… It feels nice, that’s all. I wasn’t sure it would feel so nice. Having someone say that to me.”

Poe’s heart cracked a little bit. Oh, kriff. What was he doing, playing around with this girl who had never had anything, who didn’t know –

She leaned in, pressed her lips to Poe’s cheek, just off the corner of his mouth. “If you’re scared, then that makes us even, so I think it’s all right,” she said, her voice low and intimate. “We can work it out together?”

And Poe looked at her, really looked. He looked at this girl, this girl who had never had anything but who didn’t hesitate to try for what she wanted, who never let fear get in her way, not for anything. He thought maybe she was stronger than he could ever be and she would never, ever let anyone push her around.

Poe realized maybe he didn’t need to say ‘think’ anymore. ‘I think I love you.’

He was pretty sure ‘I love you’ was more accurate.

He squeezed Rey’s hand in his and smiled at her because maybe she would let him, maybe she would let him love her. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, we can work it out together.” 

_**End** _

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [here](http://serceleste.tumblr.com)!


End file.
